Project Wedding Blog

Samantha and Joshua seem like such a sweet couple… After receiving the gorgeous photographs from their contemporary wedding at Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs, NY, I couldn’t help but share!  I loved their vibrant plum and spice color palette, modern details, yet classic approach.  Below, Samantha was so kind to tell their special story and about the day!

“My husband and I met while working at a minor league baseball stadium. To this day, it cracks us up because I could care less about sports, and he’s a baseball fan. I took the job for the money, while he actually loved working there. We flirted for an entire summer, continued our relationship online the next few months, and eventually we started dating. It’s a pretty simple story.

Josh wanted to propose after about two years into our relationship, and actually planned to right after we moved to Chicago (to start our new life together as engaged). Quite literally right before the move, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and he decided to hold off until I was healthy, and able to enjoy every minute of the engagement (of course, I didn’t know any of this until after he actually proposed!). On the year anniversary that I was declared healthy, we went away together to celebrate, and that’s where he decided to pop the question. It was perfect because it was private, secluded, and just the two of us. Totally our style.

For our wedding, we wanted something fun that represented both our modern and vintage styles, and our tendency to act like kids. Our stationary, the first thing guests saw, was very modern. My cousin designed and illustrated an image of the two of us against the backdrop of the Chicago skyline, and it just blew us away! We continued the same illustration on our menu cards and programs as well, and it matched our plum and spice orange color scheme.

Josh and I also have a vintage side. He loves drinking Manhattans and wearing cufflinks,  and I rock out to Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday when I’m relaxing at home. So, I decided to just go for the short dress look on our wedding day, and the decision was perfect for me. I felt lovely, and that’s exactly how I wanted to feel.

To bring out the kid in us, we had a candy buffet,  a cookie display, and a “fun” wedding cake. Neither of us are really cake people, so we decided to just get a small, unique cake in red velvet flavor, with purple and orange polka dots. It almost looked like a birthday cake, which I loved. It was cute, and I was so happy with it.

One of the things I really appreciate about our wedding was the centerpieces my Aunt made for us. Our floral budget was tiny, and I knew I didn’t want, and couldn’t afford, floral centerpieces.  My Aunt graciously arranged pussy willow branches inside vases with river rocks, and when they were placed on the tables, surrounded by tons and tons of candles, it was exactly what I wanted: natural, warm and romantic.

And finally, perhaps my two favorite details of our wedding:

1. Guest wedding photos. We asked all our married guests to send us a picture from their wedding day, along with their wedding date and advice for us newlyweds. We framed all the photos, created tent cards with their names, wedding date and their advice, and scattered them all around our room on various tables. Our guests loved this because they got to relive their wedding day a bit, and we got to be surrounded by wonderful examples of everlasting love.

2. Guest memory cards. For each guest that attended our wedding, we wrote down our favorite memory of them. Everyone that attended has been a huge part of our lives, and we wanted them to all know how much we appreciated them, and how much they’ve affected our lives. We got so many compliments on these cards, and guests have told us after the wedding they’ve still kept them! It was a long project that was more than worth it in the end.”

Tags: classic real wedding, modern, plum and spice color palette, vintage